CA Wants Intel as Bangladesh’s Partner in IT

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed has urged Intel Corporation to make Bangladesh a partner in its programmes, particularly in IT sector, in order to take advantage of the tremendous business opportunity in a huge market of 140 million people.

Fakhruddin also gave assurance of all-out support from the government when visiting Intel Chairman Craig Barrett made a courtesy call on him at his office yesterday.

Barrett said Intel is interested in the development of ICT and education sectors and also in any other potential sectors in Bangladesh if the government has interest, suitable policy and support.

In response, the CA assured the Intel chairman of government support in every case and said Bangladesh is a small country but it is large in terms of its population with a huge market potential, according to the CA’s Press Secretary Syed Fahim Munaim.

The Intel chairman said his company is ready to work aggressively with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of ICT in Bangladesh. Intel now mainly focuses on ICT and education sectors.

He said they want to immediately set up infrastructure of teachers training programme in Bangladesh. Under such a programme, Intel has already trained up about seven lakh teachers in India.

Barrett said Intel is giving priority in teachers training programme, as qualified teacher is important behind the root of all successes. “We’ll focus on higher education and shape the education curriculum so that students of today can face the world of tomorrow.”

The CA said partnership with Intel will help Bangladesh in its forward march towards progress through alleviating poverty, generating employment and increasing economic growth. Partnership can be set up in terms of training, research and technology.

He said Bangladesh is ready to move ahead aggressively with IT. The government attached importance to WiMAX to expand the worldwide connectivity through broad band, which would help the country’s socio-economic progress as a chain reaction.

He sought Intel’s support in WiMAX technology, a telecommunications technology aimed at providing wireless data over long distance in a variety of ways.